Compare Prices on Emerald Princess Eastern Caribbean Cruises

Great first experience with Princess

Sail Date:
December 2013

Destination:
Eastern Caribbean

Embarkation:
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)

This was our first cruise with Princess and will definitely not be our last. We flew into Orlando a few days before our departure to visit relatives. We flew Allegiant Air which did an ok job. They charge for every little thing including carry on luggage, and snacks. It was nice flying into the Sanford Airport vs. Orlando as it is significantly smaller . The night before our cruise departed we stayed at the Hyatt Place Convention center hotel in Fort Lauderdale. This place is beautiful and new. The staff was friendly and helpful. There were a lot of eating places and shops within walking distance. They had a very nice free breakfast as well.

The ship was beautiful, tasteful and very modern in décor. They kept it clean and in great working order. The staff was very friendly and helpful. They always stopped to ask if you needed help if you were looking at the ship map. One staff member, a chef, walked by me and said hi and then noticed I had stopped at the map and turned More
around to see if I needed help. Our room steward kept our room spotless and the ice bucket was always full, per our request. The age on this cruise was definitely older (70's/80's). My husband and I are in our early 40's but this did not bother us. There were only 32 kids on board this sailing.

They had good evening shows with good variety and professionalism. They had 4 dancer/ Vegas style shows. The entertainment is definitely geared toward the older crowd. We saw a great comedian. We also enjoyed the large movie screen on deck. We watched some recent release movies.

The dining was nice. We did the anytime dining and set a 5:15 reservation every night. WE had the same server who was superior to any we ever had on any other line. He quickly learned our likes and dislikes. Very professional and experienced. We went to the Crown grill and had some of the best lobster I have ever eaten.

Our disembarkement experience was good until we got to the holding area where we were to collect our luggage. The staff here was rude and not helpful. They also did a poor job of sorting the luggage thus making things very chaotic.

Compare Prices on Emerald Princess Eastern Caribbean Cruises

Cabin review: R247

WE enjoyed this room. Pretty standard like most other cruise lines for this class of room. did have a nice walk in closet vs. a vanity. Our room steward was great. Our only complaint is that when in port we didn't face any of the cities always looking at the ocean.

Emerald Pool

Snorkeling

WE snorkeled at Champaign reef and experienced some of the best snorkeling we have ever done. The water was warm and the coral and sea life were spectacular. The bubbles were cool too. It is rocky to get into the water but well worth it.

Trafalgar Falls

Snorkeling

This was a nice half day snorkel trip. The boat was nice and had ladder access to the water. The staff was pleasant and kept our drinks full. The boat was not over crowded and the snorkeling was good. The pick up location was easy to get to from the pier and they were prompt. I must say that the driving in Grenada was quite frightening. Didn't seem to be many rules. Great day!!

We enjoyed this port but decided that we like half moon Cay, the Holland America private island better. This island was clean with ample seating along the shore. The sand was soft and white and the water was the prettiest turquois one could imagine. The water was rocky by the shore and required you to swim out to an area where I couldn't touch to be away from the rocks. The buffet lunch was similar to other beach buffets we have had on other islands. The staff was equally friendly on the island. My only true complaint was the number of rusty metal beer tops we found in the sand. I put my shoes on in fear of cutting my foot. This island is definitely worth visiting for relaxation. We did not do any of the island excursions. We did rent a clam shall for shade, but they do provide covered chairs further back from the beach shore. They also had a nice kids area with water play area.